For node #4, transmitter/receiver 112-4 receives the node #1 and node #3 optical return signals on a channel A optical input port and the node #2 optical return signal on a channel B optical input port. Also, node #4 receives signals from CPEs 106-4. As for the other nodes, node #4 is segmented and ports P1-P4 are connected to CPEs 106-4A-106-4D, respectively. Node #4 is segmented in that the signals from CPEs 106-4A and 106-4B that are coupled to ports P1 and P2 of node #4 are combined at a combiner 202-4A and CPEs 106-4C and 106-4D that are coupled to ports P3 and P4 of node #4 are combined at a combiner 202-4B. The two signals may be combined together in node #4 at a combiner 202-4C, and input into channel A of transmitter/receiver 112-4. The RF input into channel B is not used and aggregation logic 114 disables this input.
As shown in each node in FIGS. 4A and 4B, CPEs 106-xA-106xB (where “x” is 1, 2, 3, or 4) are coupled to ports P1 and P2, which are coupled to channel B through a combiner 402-1A, 402-2A, 402-3A, and 402-4A, respectively for each of x=1, 2, 3, or 4. Also, as shown in each node in FIGS. 4A and 4B, CPEs 106-xC-106xD (where “x” is 1, 2, 3, or 4) are coupled to ports P3 and P4, which are coupled to channel A though a combiner 402-1B, 402-2B, 402-3B. 402-4B, respectively for each of x=1, 2, 3, or 4. Transmitter/receiver 112 may send the signal for the node on both channels. That is, node #1 sends a channel A node #1 optical return signal on channel A and a channel B node #1 optical return signal on channel B. In one embodiment, the channel A node #1 optical return signal includes aggregated signals from CPEs 106-1A-1061B, and the channel B node #1 optical return signal includes aggregated signals from CPEs 106-1C-1061D. However, both optical return signals on channel A and B may include an aggregated signal for all CPEs 106-1A-106-1D.
At 618, if both channels are not active, aggregation logic 114 determines if the position of this node is an odd number or even number. If this node is an odd number, then aggregation logic 114, at 620, puts the service group aggregation signal from this node onto channel A and does digital summing with the incoming signal from channel A. If this node is an even number, at 622, aggregation logic 114 puts the service group aggregation signal for this node onto channel B, and does digital summing with the incoming signal on channel B.
Logic 710 may be a field programmable gate array or similar circuit logic. Logic 710 receives the RF signal from signal digitization block 704 and also the optical return signal from optical receiver 702, which is de-serialized in logic 711 and then received by receiver 712 in logic 710. Logic 710 may combine the signals onto channel A and channel B as described above based on the system control signal from host processor 708. Various combiner, multiplexers, and other logic may be used to determine which signals to place on which channels of transmitter 714. Then, transmitter 714 sends the signals to an optical transmitter 716, which may transmit the optical signals on channels A and B.